Reduce your overall debt. If you don't have the funds to pay down debt, consider taking a loan from a family member or friend. That doesn't reduce what you owe, but it does move debt off your credit report and give your credit score a quick boost.

Don't close unused credit cards accounts. Canceling a card can actually lower your score because it leaves you with less available credit relative to your total debt. It may also shorten your credit history, which will ding your score.

Never max out your credit cards. A good rule of thumb is to keep your balances below 30% of your credit limit - even if you pay your accounts off in full each month.

Do your loan shopping quickly. Having lots of credit inquiries can decrease your score. But the system won't treat a cluster of credit inquires (for a car or home loan, for example) within a short time period - like a week or two - unfavorably.

Get a secured credit card. You'll have to dish out an upfront security deposit of at least a couple hundred dollars, which the card issuer holds as collateral. Check out the Public Savings Bank Visa and more secured offers on Creditcards.com.

Get a gas or retail store card. Even though you may want to buy more than gas and clothes on credit, making small monthly charges that you pay off in full and on time each month will work wonders for boosting your credit score.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you already have good credit, why would you want to risk doing something radically different? A score over 750 is excellent and means that you've been doing everything right when it comes to your credit.

Closing an account doesn't make it go away. A closed account will still show up on your credit report, and may be considered by the score.

Unless you have a serious black mark on your credit, like a foreclosure or bankruptcy, putting these tips into practice is the fastest way to pump up your credit score